Chapter Five
Hermione
"Are you absolutely sure, Tom? You have no idea?" She asked desperately.
"Sorry, Hermione, I didn't see their face," Tom said apologetically. "They had a cloak on and they made sure to hide."
She tapped her pen against her notebook out of frustration. "Do you at least know if they were male or female?"
"Male? Their voice was deep but they could've been disguising it."
"How tall were they?" She questioned.
"I don't know. About my height. Maybe taller." He held his hand just above his head. It wasn't hard to be taller than Tom. He was barely five foot six and even Hermione was taller than him.
"Mhm," Hermione hummed, writing it down. "How built were they?"
Tom thought for a moment. "Not sure but they looked strong... broad-shouldered. They did look muscular or that might've been the cloak."
"Okay..." She quickly added that to her notes. "Anything else you remember about this person?"
"Let's see they were tense like they were expecting me or someone to attack them and they kept their left hand deep in their cloak like they were holding or hiding something. Otherwise, there was nothing odd about them. Did I help any?"
Tom looked her in the eye and she saw a gleam of hope in them. "No, but it's all right. I'm sure they'll turn up soon." Hermione tried to sound optimistic but it sounded fake to her ears.
The search for the mysterious person who was kidnapped- saved? Borrowed?- she went straight into a dead end. Hermione already asked the minister who set up her appointment but Kingsley didn't know, then she asked his secretary. She apologized saying the person used a muggle phone and she didn't get a name from the person but they claimed they were a friend of hers. "Thanks anyway." She flashed a smile at him.
"Sorry I can't tell you more. It was past midnight and whoever it was waking me from sleeping."
"It's no problem, Tom. You did your best."
"I'm just glad it was someone who looked after you and not anyone who's looking for you," Tom said, making her shudder. She tried not to think of the fact it could've been a death eater or someone who had a problem with her like Pansy or Malfoy. If they did she was positive there no longer would be a Hermione Jean Granger.
She shuttered again trying to block out all the scenes that immediately popped in her mind. Hermione cursed herself for being so stupid that night. She was eternally thankful, as the minister said, that someone found her before anyone else did.
Her attention turned to her notebook.
Mysterious Person
Knows my size in clothing
Claims to be a friend of mine
Knows about my locked door and why I couldn't get into it
phone called the ministry
Vanilla and spearmint shampoo and body wash?
More than likely male
Maybe disguising a deep voice
Tall??- Taller than Tom
Could be muscular?
Conclusion: This person has to know their way in the muggle world to use a muggle phone. The build of this man indicates he could be a quidditch player and he is more than likely close to me...
"Hermione!" She jumped at the sudden sound of her name. Hermione spun around and found herself face-to-face with Ginny. She ran at her and nearly tackled her to the ground.
"Ginny," She laughed, hugging her back.
"It's so nice to see you! I didn't know you were going to be here," Ginny said. "Now let me look at you!" She held her at arm's length and inspected every inch of her to see if she'd been treated well. Hermione admired how much Ginny looked like Mrs. Weasley. The same red hair, eyes, and even the same nose.
"I've been here for over a year, Gin. I haven't moved yet."
"Marlin, we have so much to talk about. Sorry I haven't been able to visit... I was really busy with everything," Ginny said evasively.
"Everything, huh? Do you mean Harry?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrows.
Ginny smiled mysteriously. "Maybe." She held up her left hand and pointed to a ring on her finger.
"He proposed to you?" She gasped. "Harry Potter proposed! Woah, that's a shocker."
"Don't sound so surprised, Hermione. I was going to ask her anyway," Harry Potter said, sounding hurt.
Hermione couldn't believe how much she missed them... and the fact they snuck up on her. She was so absorbed with the mystery before her she totally dropped all her defenses. She made a mental note to always keep her defenses up.
"Harry!" Hermione ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. "I can't believe you're here too! Why are you guys here so late?" She checked her watch. "It's nearly eleven o'clock!"
"Ginny's staying the night here. And anywhere she goes I'm right beside her," Harry said poking fun at Ginny. Then he lowered his voice to a loud whisper so she could still hear him. "Literally, it's like she has an invisible leash on me."
Ginny glared and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Okay, sorry, Gin! Sorry!" Harry laughed, he put his arm around her waist. The fact that they looked at each other with so much love and tenderness didn't go unnoticed by Hermione. Her heart longed for Ron. We must've looked like this when we started dating, didn't we? If we'd continued dating would I have a ring on my finger? She asked herself.
She picked up her notebook and glanced down. Her smile faded into a frown and looked up at the couple in front of her. Her eyes traveled to Ginny's hand. Her left hand. "Hey, love birds," she called to her two best friends, "why don't we sit?" They agreed and shuffled to an open booth. Hermione leaned over to Tom who was cleaning the counters with a rag. "Hey, Tom, see that redhead over there?"
He looked up and nodded.
"Could she be the mysterious person?"
He looked her over closely. "No," he decided. "Too short."
"Oh." Her disappointment was evident, "Three butterbeers please."
"On it." He grabbed three mugs and filled them. He handed them to Hermione and she paid. "The boy looks familiar though."
"He should," Hermione said, "That's Harry Potter. The world's 'savior' from Voldemort." Tom's wincing didn't go unnoticed by her. It's been three years and no one used his name and whenever someone did, people winced. Hermione was getting tired of it. Every time someone winced she wanted to yell, 'Voldemort. Voldemort! Voldemort! He's dead! His reign of terror is over! He's not coming back!' "I know who 'arry Pott'r is. No, I mean he's tall enough and the right build to be your phantom. If it is, he's your savior too."
They both looked over at Harry. He was whispering in Ginny's ear and they started laughing. It looks like I have some investigating to do, Hermione thought, smiling slightly. With her notebook under her arm, Hermione walked over to the love birds.
"Here are some drinks," she said. She sat down while they thanked her. "So, Harry," she started casually, "did you just get here or have you come other nights?"
"Um, the first night," Harry said, sounding confused.
"If you don't mind me asking where were you yesterday night?" Hermione set her notebook and quill aside. Ginny glanced at Harry questionably.
"Ginny and I were visiting the burrow. I wanted to get her parent's permission before I proposed and we stayed the week there... Why do I feel like you're acting like I'm a suspect in an investigation?"
"Because you are," Hermione told him bluntly. She launched into her story about the mysterious person. "I want to thank them," she finished. "And Tom said you looked a lot like the mystery person."
Harry shook his head. "No, I was with Ginny. But Hermione, Tom said he was hiding his left arm?"
She nodded slowly.
"Do you think that's strange?" Harry answered, drawing closer to her as his voice lowered. "Someone hiding their left arm after the second world war."
She inhaled sharply and her hand went over her bandaged left arm. The thought never really crossed her mind. Although she always had a nagging suspicion in the back of her mind.. The mystery person was a death eater.